A Dumb Question
This may be a dumb question , but how do you tell if a rifle bore is fouled with lead ? I clean my guns really often and the bores are all shiney and the rifling looks to be well defined in the bore. I have never run a wire brush thru them tho. I was told once to never used a wire brush in the bore. Well it's an embarrassing question to ask , but if you don't ask you don't really know.
leafrivermac
leafrivermac
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You are doing fine. The only thing I do is use a brass brush, then patch clean with light oil, then dry patch and see how it looks. IMO. nambu 0 -
Dumb is when you don't know and don't ask! Asking is good. Usually you can see lead fouling if it is heavy and the grooves will appear partially filled and the floors of the grooves uneven. running a patch with a lead solvent down the bore will produce a discolored patch if there is lead. If most of the bullets you shoot have guilding metal jackets you won't get much lead, and if you clean well after you shoot that will keep it down as well. Mostly it comes from shooting cast lead bullets without jackets. A brass brush will not hurt the bore, and even a nylon brush will help with powder fouling. I use brass brushes and Blue Wonder with no problems.
He Dog0 -
No dumb questions...there are some dumb answers from time to time. But you have gotten good advice.
Really dumb is not knowing, AND not asking.
John
A friend will post your bail. A good friend will be sitting next to you in the cell saying, "man that was fun!"0 -
I have heard that Windex w/ammonia will quickly take care of the lead build up. But you have to use the stuff with ammonia. It's the cheapest way. Let it sit for a few minutes then clean and repeat if necessary. 0 -
I would not use ammonia. When I worked on the North Slope, the oil companies would take all "magic markers" and replace them with ammonia free markers. They said the ammonia would do something to stainless steel, causing structural failures in high pressure pipe.
It ain't what you shoot, it's what you hit.0 -
You should easily be able to see any significant lead buildup, and if you don't fire cast lead bullets, especially ones w/o gas checks, there isn't really going to be any lead build up, but you could get some copper fouling from your jacketed rounds.
Use a good commercial cleaning solvent, Hoppes, Butches, etc. Blue Wonder is a very good cleaner, and after cleaning run a patch with some light lube on it. Following w/ a dry patch or waiting to run the dry patch before using is a personal preference.
I do not suggest using ammonia in any solution on a firearm. However, with that said ... Windex does make their cleaner w/ vinegar, but it is a little hard to find. If you shoot black powder a gallon jug of distilled water with about 2 ounces of the vinegar Windex is a very good cleaner. Since there are so many good cleaning products for non-black powder firearms I've never had the inclination to use the Windex and water solution on one of them.
If you only have time to do two things so-so, or one thing well ... do the one thing!0 -
I believe the ammonia is only for removing copper fouling, not lead. For lead, a 50/50 mix of hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar works very well, but make sure you get it all out, if you don't it will rust things quite well.
"...hit your enemy in the belly, and kick him when he is down, and boil his prisoners in oil- if you take any- and torture his women and children. Then people will keep clear of you..." -Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, speaking at the Hague Peace Conf0
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